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The FBI rescued four migrants who had been kidnapped and held for ransom in a Houston, Texas human smuggling operation.
According to reports, one victim’s girlfriend told police her boyfriend had traveled to Mexico and was kidnapped by smugglers after illegally crossing back into Texas, demanding a $15,000 payment.
Police traced a call from the kidnappers to the victims’ families to a short-term rental property, where the FBI hostage rescue team discovered the migrants being held.
One victim said the kidnappers physically abused and threatened to kill him.
Four suspected kidnappers were arrested at the scene. The rescued victims’ safety and well-being were the priority in the operation, which remains under further investigation.
“The FBI says this is a part of a larger-scale investigation and they can’t release any more information on what happened inside the house or the status of the ‘potential victims,’” Fox 26 reported.
